Lone Elk Park

We went Sunday to Lone Elk Park.  I had heard about it a few months ago.  I can’t believe it has been so close to home, and we never knew about it.  We drove through the beautiful park and saw elk, wild turkeys, turtles, and buffalo.  It was amazing!  I got out to take a photo of an elk cooling off in the water. I wished I had my telephoto lens with me, but I didn’t, so I found myself sneaking closer and closer down the steep hill.  I kept hearing something walking near me, and I began to grow a little concerned.  I was fairly certain the buffalo were in another part of the park, but my active imagination was getting the better of me.  Then I began questioning how aggressive elk can be.  The rustling of the leaves got closer, and I saw it was just a squirrel.  Soon I heard Shawn call my name, and he reminded me that this wasn’t National Geographic.  Ha!  When we did finally come into contact with the buffalo, Cody thought it would be wise to roll our windows up.  Abby was getting so excited that he thought she was going to startle them and cause a stampede!  She kept saying, “Wow! I see one!”  We also went to the World Bird Sanctuary that was right there.  That was fun seeing all the birds and snakes, feeding the chickens, and finding fun information about the animals.  Cody learned that the turkey vulture vomits on his predators.  We joked that Anna had better stay on his good side!  The kids laughed at me as I talked about the one-eyed owl.  Apparently, he just had a sleepy eye!  They announced this quite loudly in front of one of the workers…time to move on to the next exhibit, right?! (Smile)  It was a great afternoon, and they learned a lot.  In fact, when we got home they learned about different birds that like peanuts, so they got to work setting up a trap to catch a bird for a pet.  I love seeing all of these fun places through their eyes.  My children make me want to learn more. I love that about having kids!

P.S. See if you can find the ostrich egg (largest) and hummingbird egg (smallest) in the photo.  Cody was fascinated by this!  Also, the kids all climbed into a man-made eagle nest…nice and roomy!